Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1887-02-11
4 GHOST STORY WITH NO END.

WuwS OOotoS9 tu8t, IOf ono mOmonJ i uhu q /
strange choking sensation in my throat when |
l saw my husbands face become suddenly
distorted by emotion at mere passing giarcs |
from pretty woman. Pretty she uudout =.
edly was nay almost lovely, with large blue
eyes and golden hair that clustered around
her head In little curls there was an air of
elegance, too, In dress aud eguirage that de-
noted both wealth and refinement She
bowed to my husband ss she drove past, but
1t was only greeting OF = chance Rcqus mt.
ance. He, however, a. II unabs to take his
eyes from her, leaned over the balcony and
followed the movement of her carriage with
painfully eager glance until the trees hid 1t
Even then he seemed utterly oblivious Of
my presence, but stood by my side with that
same whits startled expression on his face
that had first attracted my attention. Any
hand upon his arm. I" Herbert, who Is she ,
| Why, Why could say no more, my
| voice failed me
| He turned quickly around. "Why,
/ Alice, what Is the matter ~ he inquired
| anxiously.
Who is she ~ repea.ed-"t the lady
In that carriage with the foreign-looking
"Tbe Countess de Li.ss," he replied
quietly, almost sadly "She was Annie L,sle,
| q cousin OF the BesumontA'
1t was q name had never heard.
ADO you know her well ?"
I" never spoke to her In my lite.'
Then why"
"Oh, know wha, you mean 1; is only
an old piece o! folly, but cannot shake 1t
of. We won't talk about II for II Is rather
painful subject Let Us 60 out into the sun
| shine"
But II he imagined that 1 was going to be
| satisfied with that he was very much mis-
taken. i saw II WAS no good in pressing the
| point Just then ; l must wait for better op-
| portunity. 1t was not long in coming. We
| were making our way slowly down south
eve were on our honeymoon), and arrived at
| Mentone.
As soon as the table dhote was over we es.
tAblished ourselves in our little private sit
ting room, for there was no chance of going
| out as II was raining furously. For some
time / went on diligently msking cigarettes,
but at length when my pile was greater than
any man could smoke in q month, / began
| my attack with what regarded as no incon-
| siderable amount Of skill. A shade OF annoy.
| ance passed over Herbert's counter suce wi hen
he became aware of the. turn the converse.
ton was taking; but as he looked down into
I my eager face, his expression changed lie
, said gently:
"Alice, what thorough woman you are
| have been on the point Of telling you that
| story halt dozen tunes, only | never care
! very much TO talk it. You see, l don't under
stand i, and l suppose, now, never shall"
Here Herbert hesitaied, and there was a
after pause, he began to speak and his face
had a grave, troubled look which l had
never seen there before
"a year ago last Ssptsmb ber," he began,
"a went into Pembrok eshire to spend a 70 "
| days with the Beaumonts 1t was the first
time had been at Plas Beaumont aud as
, hsd come straight through from London, and
: | IL was nearly seven when arrived, | went to
my room at once. The Plss was originally
| | an old farmhouse, which had been added to
/ | and altered by each successive generation
r | until 1t had become q good sized, comfortable
| country residence. 1 remember as we drove
| the AyaDua haipp struCE kv
dinary length OF the building; only two
stories high. it is as long as half dozen ordi
| nary houses put together.
'My room was at the front OF the hous g, a,
the top osthe staircase that leads out OF the
| hall There was nothing about 1t to attra, !,
any special attention; l know half a dozen
country houses that have just such rooms
. | The Old carved oak wainscot was rathe,
!. | quaint but the bed and furniture we're quite
modern. Opposite the door leading from the
, | staircase was large window running the
whole length OF the room at right angles tc
t this window, and close to III, WAS another door
with heavy curtain partially covering it
A All this had time to observe while dressing z
a for the servant had told me that dinner wa;
not until quarter to eight,
: at was just half past seven when l had
finished dressing and my hand was already
? on the door handle, when-now, Alice, car
|. only tell you what l saw even for myself
| | can find no explsnstion-the smaller dool
. | was suddenly burst open and q tall, dsrl
| seized me by the arm. Even now can fe 9
1 the grip OF his fingers. He said somethi i %
! bu. the only words could distinguish were
r | "Help! For Gods sake helpw He almos
a | dragged me after him through another room
down long corridor and only stopped wher
We were in front Of the door OF the end room
OF the house. Before he opened this door b,
. turned and looked at me. 1 saw his tace al
q | clearly as ses yours at this moment. Ii,
10 was handsome man with clear, well Gu
Il features, black hair and a word cut above th,
!. left eyebrow. He had tall, 1.-the figure
and even in my fright l was struck by hi
e air of distinction.
8 "We stood there looking at each other fol
o perhaps half minute which seemed to M
an eternity; then my companion opened the
: door and led me into bedroom, smaller aut
. more old fashioned than the one that hsc
been given to me, but very like it 1t hac
the Same long low window, but instead OF my
little iron bed, there was large old four
poster, that must have been made centuries
Z before, hung with yellow chintz, which
seemed to be covered with little black dancing
figures
=. "The man, still holding me by the arm, led
!, me to the led. On 1t, stretched full length
was lying woman, or rather q girl, for sh,
. did not look more than one or two anc
:. twenty. She Was in evening dress, auc
around her neck there was q curiousl,
|. wrought old mosaic neck lace At this mo
!. ment as think OF her i see her again a.
! clearly as l saw her that night She was {
:, beautiful woman, one that in any case /
] would not be easy to forget, but had never
Q seen her before. As ] looked at her-sh,
Is was in the full glare OF the setting sun
a | noticed that there was thin red line run
= ming around her neck, as II it had been Gu
with some sharp instrument and blood wa.
slowly oozlng out on one side, and runnin,
n down the pillow Then for the first time,
r noticed that the man who was standing b,
my side, held long pointed knife In bii
hand, and IL was blood. stained. | spran,
forward to raise the woman-
If "The next thing remember was that
a was standing with my hand on the handl
OF my bedroom door, ready to 90 dowI
% stairs 20 dinner"
Beads OF fpsrspiration were standing on m
's husbands brow when he finished speak,nS
,. "My dear Herbert, you surely did not he
Ia | that trouoie you? You were tired-it is a,
n awful journey to Pembroke You must hay
had some OF tit, perhaps a touch OF sun
. stroke" and tried to drive awsy NV hus
y bands gloon, for his ghastly paleness fright
y DE looked dreamily out of the window.
a Yes, yes, that Is what / said to myselt
a did not like IL, even then, for it IL not pleas
ant 70 nave ones imagination, playing suci
. Tricks but l was sure it was only imsgins
. ZION, particularly As / found soon after tina
the little door was bolted on my side and
9 locked on the other. 1 shook myse!f to
8 gether and went dow into the DRAWN,
room. There were several people stsyinV h
The mouse some few were old friends d
mine, but most OF them were Strangers Dinna
wa. late for Mr.. Beaumont and some of th